


Controllers and Outlets

by TheSheGavin



Series: Short Stories: A Collection of Achievement [4]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Achievement Hunters, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Alternate Universe - High School, Everyone is swapped except Joel, Gender or Sex Swap, Mainly Mavin with sides of Joelay and Lunacross and the Ramseys and stuff, Michelle and Gabby, Multi, There's a lot of bullshit love triangle stuff???, cause Joel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-23
Updated: 2014-10-23
Packaged: 2018-02-22 07:48:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2500160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSheGavin/pseuds/TheSheGavin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gabriella Free is in a pretty unlikely group of friends. </p><p>Gigi Ramsey was one of the most popular and kickass girls in school. </p><p>Rhyanne Haywood was the evil genius of the drama department. </p><p>Rachel Narvaez was a trickster and a little bit of a tease.<br/>Jackie was big into architecture and probably the sweetest girl around. </p><p>So, maybe adding a foul-mouth and bad-attitude girl like Michelle Jones wouldn't be too bad, right</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. LLLLLet's Begin!

I sat quietly at my desk, reading the new book I had picked up as the rest of the students talked around me. Homeroom didn't last very long, and it was more of a "this is your free period, do your damn homework" type of time. I didn't mind. I was engulfed in my book, glasses perched lower down on my nose as I read. I snapped out of my daze when a hand landed on my desk.

"Hey Gabriella."

I raised my hazel eyes to find intense blue staring me down that made me instantly want to draw away.

"Oh, jeez Gigi. You scared me."

Giovanni gave a friendly smile, brushing a hand through her boy-cut black hair.

"Then I did my job." She laughed as I gave her a friendly punch on her tattooed arm.

We were an odd pair.. You know, me being the bookworm and her being possibly one if the coolest juniors ever to come to Averue High, where "Achievement is our first priority." Ha. Tell that to over half the student body.

Gigi went back to talking to her large amount of "friends." Truth was that she hated the bastards just as much as I did, which is why she talks to me. I get bullied. A lot, actually. Gigi backed me a few times and shook a few of the jerks off of me but.. There's still a few.

I found myself staring at the book's pages, not really reading because of my wandering mind. I heard someone call my name, but I pretended not to hear. I didn't want to be bothered at the moment.

"Gabriella.. Gabriella!"

I looked up, annoyed at whoever it was to find my annoyed expression reflected back, only more pierced.

I blinked a few times and tried to figure out who this girl was. She was surprisingly short with brown eyes that reminded me of melted chocolate and red hair that was chopped short and curled around her face to frame it. Her lower lip was pierced twice, one right next to the other, and she had a ring on the left side of her nose. I lost my words somewhere between my brain and my mouth, so I just stuttered out an "I'm Gabby.." 

"Yeah, I know, dipshit." She sighed, "I was told to come find you. The office said you could help me."

The girl passed me a green paper. A schedule. The top read the girl's name, birthday, student ID.. Her name was Michelle Victoria Jones. She was a sophomore, and her class schedule was a near copy of mine, yet she had a free class instead of art. My name and homeroom was handwritten at the bottom.

"You should take art." I blurted, eyes glued to the page in front of me.

"Nice accent. Why the hell would I do that?"

"I uh.. You have a free period, and it's an easy A." I muttered embarrassedly at my outburst, glancing up at the redhead. The comment about my accent didn't go unnoticed, but I wasn't going to address it right now. I moved here from London because of my father. My parents divorced and mom wanted to get as far away as possible.

"Sounds good enough for me. I'll just stop by the office after lunch and get it changed." Michelle shrugged and the bell sounded. I handed her back the schedule and gathered my things.

"You can just follow me until you get the hang of your schedule. We basically have the same one." I murmured before leading the way to Political and Economic class; the most boring class in the entire school. By the look on Michelle's face, I'd say she thought the same.

After our hour long torture, we were on the way to math. I didn't mind it too much, even though I wasn't any good at it at all. She talked for me on the way there, telling about how her old school handled the class and what she already knew while using a few choice swear words. I chose not to say anything about it, but I didn't really like it. Gigi knew it, which is why she didn't do it around me but I felt I could make an exception for Michelle. 

I pass Gigi in the way to math and she usually walks with me but today.. Well, she still walked. She introduced herself to Michelle, and then she whispered something to her that she found incredibly funny. They left me out, and Gigi didn't say another word. Michelle continued to talk about her old friends, which she seemed touchy on, and once we got to class, that was that. Gigi left and Michelle sat next to me. I was a little disappointed that I was left out, especially from one of my best friends. I snapped from my thoughts when I heard a guy start to give Michelle trouble.

"Hey. That's my seat." It was Mitch. The sweetest boy I had ever met. I swear, he was my sort of dream guy, but now he was being rude and obnoxious.

"Find a different seat. This one is taken."

Mitch looked infuriated before before finding my own angry glare. His anger fizzled out into confusion, and then indifference.

"Fine." Mitch spoke curtly to the red head before nodding to me.

"Hey Gab, you wanna go get lunch today? The cafeteria is doing burgers with mystery meat again." Mitch gave a half smile that made my heart want to swell in my chest, but I beat it down.

"No, no I.. I'm gonna stay for lunch. I have to get some notes from Rachel anyway."

Mitch's smile fell away and he nodded hesitantly before leaving his seat to Michelle after being yelled at by out short-tempered Algebra Two teacher. 

There wasn't a terrible amount of sophomores in the class of juniors, but we were smarter than most of them. Michelle seemed to be a representation of that idea, spouting off answers left and right. She sounded like she had already learned everything that we were going over. She did all of this while maintaining a nonchalant and "bad girl" attitude. Once our satisfied teacher turned away, a note landed on my desk. My name was scrawled out like graffiti on the front. I unfolded it to find semi-sloppy writing.

/Can you believe that guy?/

I frowned and wrote back in neat print, [What guy?] before awkwardly tossing it to Michelle.

I got a reply almost immediately.

/The douche that tried to get me to get up./

[Oh. That's just Mitch.]

/Friend of yours?/

[Sort of.]

/He likes you, you know./

That made me look up at her. How could she even tell?

[No, he doesn't.. He just got out of a break up.]

/I think you need your glasses checked. And this whole passing notes thing would be easier if you didn't suck so much at it./

[I don't usually pass notes. I'm more into actually doing work.]

/That's why you're sending me notes now, huh? Heh, why don't you just give me your number and we can do this without being caught so easily./

I paused and thought about it for a moment before jotting down my number and passing the note back to Michelle. My phone buzzed in my pocket moments later. I checked it to see an unknown number asking when lunch is. I smiled, added the number into my contacts, and left it unanswered for the rest if the class.

When the bell rang, I gathered my notes quickly, hoping to avoid-

"Hey Gab?"

\- Mitch..

"Yeah?" I replied timidly, feeling his gaze on me as I fiddled with my books.

"Can I walk you to class?"

My face heated up, from embarrassment or flattery, I wasn't sure, but I saw Michelle's smug look and I.. I overreacted.

"No. No, maybe another time. I have to show Michelle around." I motioned to the redhead that busied herself with her phone. My voice was curt and not at all friendly.

Mitch nodded with a shrug. "Maybe tomorrow then." He left without another word.

"Smooth move, Juliet. Romeo seems like he's rusty." Michelle teased.

"Shut up, alright? We have to get to biology, and I'd appreciate it if you stayed out of my personal business when it comes to who I do and don't like."

"Hmph. Fine Casanova. Have it your way."

"Why do you think you know so much, Michelle?" I half-growled as I led the way to biology.

"I know about guys - and girls - more than most. Can we leave it at that?" She retorted. I shot her a look over my shoulder before nodding in agreement. As soon as I stepped a foot inside the biology room, a dead frog was flying my way. I stepped aside and let it smack against the wall.

"Hey Rachel. 'Sup Barry?" I laughed, shaking my head.

"Sorry Gabs. Wasn't aiming for you. We thought you were Joel." Barry chuckled, "He hates frogs so much that he might Kermit murder for what we were planning."

I groaned softly at the horrible joke and Rachel tilted her head as she glanced over the girl behind me, who looked almost disapproving of what was going on.

"Who's the shorty?" She joked, but Michelle seemed to take offense.

"I'm not short."

"Whatever you say." She smiled and held out her hand. "I'm Rachel."

Michelle looked her over once and took her hand to shake it. "Michelle."

Rachel, instead of shaking her hand, pressed a kiss to the back of it like she was being introduced to a prince. Michelle's face flushed and she stuttered something but it was lost as everyone was told to go to their lab partner tables. I was paired with Rachel and Ms. Kerry told Michelle to work with us. She wasn't happy with the decision at all, and stood next to me, making me the divider between her and Rachel.

The class went by with a lot of silence from my group. Rachel found the situation hilarious, snickering and giggling as we fiddled with animal guts, sending flirtatious winks and grins to Joel, who nonchalantly returned them. Michelle seemed uneasy and much quieter than before, seeming very self conscious. I ignored both of them until I felt the redhead's breath on my ear.

"Is she fucking with me?"

I nodded, half to comfort her, and half to get her to remember her distance. I felt claustrophobic around the freckled girl with the genuine smile. I haven't felt like that with anybody. Not since-.. 

Not since I first met Mitch.

Oh jeebus. No. I don't like her, no.

But when I looked at her, I knew it. She looked relieved, and she fiddled with a scalpel, making small lines in the table. Her hair fell in her face in all the right ways and she was just short enough and I was just tall enough that she'd have to stand on her tiptoes to kiss me. 

No. I cannot and will not think of her like that.

"Yo, Gab. Earth to Gabby." Rachel brought me back from my thoughts, and I moved my eyes to the table in front of me.

"Yeah, what's up?"

"Pack it up. It's almost time for lunch."

I looked to the clock, and sure enough, I've spent an hour in my thoughts and trying to keep these two apart. 

We all walk to lunch; Joel and Rachel walk close to each other, sharing secrets I never hear, Barry cracks jokes with Mitch, Gigi joined us with Rhyanne, Jackie, and Danni, the three discussing chemistry notes. Rhyanne was a sort of evil genius, but she was nice enough. Jackie was into architecture and photography. Danni was artsy and into video recording with me. These were my friends, and I was perfectly okay with the rag-tag group we were.

Michelle walked next to me, keeping close in the crowd of strangers. She didn't seem like one to be shy, but she had drawn away from them for the time being. 

We all got lunch, which I had completely avoided the burgers and cheap pizza for a salad, and we sat at our table. Rachel was by my side, which was followed by Joel, Barry, Jackie and Rhyanne. Mitch sat across from me with Gigi to his left and Luke to his right, who was pretty nice. He dyed his hair bright red in an effort to show his parents that he was "his own man." Next to Luke was Danni, and they all seemed very interested in the newcomer that sat on my other side.

"So, Michelle, where are you from?" Gigi smiled.

"New Jersey. We came here because of my mom's work." 

"I'm surprised that you don't have that terrible accent." Joel chuckled.

Michelle raised a brow to the boy down at the other end, "I don't know what you've been watching. Just because Jersey Shore has fucking orange girls with fake accents doesn't mean everyone in Jersey is the same."

"Redhead's got fire. I like her." Rhyanne smiled, sounding sincere.

"I do too. Hey Gi, can she come with us this Saturday?" Jackie seemed excited, but I wasn't even sure if Michelle would like what we were going to do.

"Shit, I don't know guys." Gigi sighed, "I'd have to ask Griff."

"Who's Griff and what am I being dragged into?" Michelle mumbled to me. I laughed softly and turned to her to find that her face was inches from mine.

"Griffon is a senior. He's dating Gigi and they have a get-together every weekend. We, uh.. We have a gaming night. We live stream on YouTube and-"

"No shit. You aren't joking with me right?"

"N-.. No?"

"That's fucking awesome, Gabby! Why the hell did you not tell me sooner?"

I was about to answer her when she asked Gigi what time it would be and where.

Seems like we have a new player.


	2. New Beginnings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I remembered the fact that I wrote this a year ago and that it's kinda bad. My apologies. - TSG

Michelle went to the office and got her free period changed to art. She had me walk her to class, keeping close with our arms barely brushing each other. I was oddly comforted by how natural it was just to walk with her. It's like we knew each other our whole lives. Like we were best friends. 

I always thought it was stupid whenever someone would tell me that they met a stranger and just "clicked" but it was starting to seem more rational.

I fidgeted at the thought. I didn't want to be friends with her. I wanted more, actually, but I would never allow myself to do that. Not when I just met her. 

Michelle was talking, but I was lost in my own thoughts.

"Hey. Hey dumbass." Michelle nudged me, her voice taunting.

"Yeah?" I replied softly.

"Where the fuck are you taking me?"

I gave her a strange look before discovering that we passed the art room and went all the way down the hall to the empty choir room.

"Oh! I-I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking."

I turned around quickly and retreated down the hall, half to run from my embarrassment and half to keep my mouth shut from further idiocy. I heard Michelle sigh behind me, but it was mingling with quiet laughter.

I sat at my easel which was blank and white and full of possibilities. The only time I didn't have to think about anything. Mr. Oum told us that today was free day Friday. We could do what we wanted, which was perfect. Exactly what I needed too.

I picked out my colors. Bright reds, blues, yellows, and greens dripped in water colors against the paper. I wasn't a particularly good artist when it came to the ideas, but I wasn't terrible.

Danni, who had taken the canvas next to mine as always, was conversing with Michelle while she painted a surreal garden. Danni always got her ideas from real things that she sees everyday. She was painting my garden from home, which she had as her lock screen for her phone. She always wanted a garden, and while she didn't have the time to do her own, she took a lot of pride in helping me with mine in the small amount of time she took.

I didn't check to see Michelle's. I was curious to see how it turned out rather than how she started. 

I adored watercolors. I know it's unoriginal and slightly lame, but the way the colors bled into each other into a breathtaking scene just made me smile.

Sometimes, my ideas don't click right away. I may or may not spend some days staring at a blank canvas. But that wasn't really today. I had a decided on sea creatures today - pretty fitting for watercolors - and my primary focus was jellyfish in purple, blue, and green tones that dripped off the canvas, while yellows and reds fell into the ocean. It was one of my better works, aside from a sketch I made of the park that was near my house once upon a time in London.

I finished near the end of class. It wasn't fantastic, but it was nicer than most. Mr. Oum asked us all to present our works to our neighbors as a bit of a 'peer review'. I showed my finished work to Danni, and she showed me her own. Michelle seemed really unenthusiastic about sharing her art, but she did motion for me to come see her work. When I came over, I was surprised by a black canvas covered in chalks. Graffiti was scrawled across it in near rainbow colors, but it was hard to make out what it said.

"What's it say?" I tilted my head, looking carefully while she told me.

"It says 'Love is Love.' My ex used to say it a lot." Michelle shrugged uncomfortably, "She was a bitch, though."

"She?" I asked, though I really should've kept my mouth shut.

"Yeah. /She/." Michelle's words were sharp and lined with poison.

"Oh, that's cool. Rachel had a girlfriend last year and-" I spoke quickly, trying to fill the hole I was digging for myself.

"Then we don't have a problem, do we?" Michelle's question was more of a statement.

"No, of course not." I smiled weakly, and Michelle seemed satisfied.

I was more than okay with a girl liking a girl or a guy liking a guy. There was too much of that going on for me to hate on it. 

And well.. There was more than one time when I liked a girl myself.

Rachel and I used to date.. It was our freshman year and she was really close to me. She asked me on a date, eventually, and we ended up going out and becoming really close but then.. We broke up. We're still really close friends, and we're sometimes more than friendly, but we aren't together, and we do an amazing job at hiding the fact that we ever did date.

I had a crush on Gigi in the seventh grade.. And I liked Michelle now, but I just met her. I don't think that counts, exactly, but it could.

Art was over too quickly. I loved the class, but it felt like it was always cut short by the rude bell for the next class. Michelle and I went to French, which proved uneventful aside from Michelle's intense struggle with the language.

Finally, we went on our way to choir. Michelle was silent, but she still walked with me, only for the fact that she didn't know where she was going. I introduced her to Ms. Arryn, or Ms. Zech, whatever you prefer, and I took my place in the risers. I was a soprano, which I was glad because we usually got the melody of the song.

"Well, Ms. Jones, have you ever been in choir before?"

"No, actually, but I've done some solos and stuff."

"So you can read music? Do you know your range?"

"I can sight-read some, yes. And I'm a contralto."

"A contralto? Excellent! Please, sing just a bit of this, will you?" Ms. Arryn smiled reassuringly, handing her one of the pieces we were working on. She chose the alto line from the page and began.

I have never enjoyed someone's singing so much. Michelle sang the song almost flawlessly, aside from a few minor sight-reading issues, and I wasn't the only one who noticed. I caught Luke staring more than intensely at the redhead, which made me feel submerged in this large wave of jealousy.

When she finished, the class applauded her, earning a few whoops and whistles from the choir. She smiled and took a bow, seeming to really enjoy herself yet with a hint of uneasiness.

Michelle took her spot mingling with the outskirts of the tenors and altos. Luke gave her a grin and a hushed comment that I didn't catch, but it couldn't 've been good by how quickly her face turned red. Luke shared his music with her, and I suddenly hated being a soprano.

"Yes, Ms. Jones?" Ms. Zech questioned the raised hand of Michelle after the first two songs we had a run through of.

"Why do we have to sing these Christian songs?"

"Excuse me?"

"Why don't we sing something that doesn't involve religion? We could do a fucking Journey song for all I care." The irritation in Michelle was evident. She was touchy and frustrated from the day today, and I could relate. My first day in America was no walk in the park, and especially not my first day in this school system.

"Language, Ms. Jones! We are not a show choir. Most classical pieces were written for religious reasons."

"Answer my question! Why are you making us do these religious-affiliate piles of garbage when /no one enjoys them?/"

"I will not tolerate this in my own classroom. Go up to the office."

"I thought this school was about achievement. About being different! You can't even take some advice from an unbrainwashed student!"

"Go to the office!"

Michelle scowled and gave a grunt of frustration before grabbing her things and storming out.

I was shocked. No one ever talked to Ms. Arryn like that, or any teacher, rather.

I raised my hand a moment after Michelle left.

"Yes, Gabriella?"

"Can I go see the nurse? I haven't been feeling so well since lunch."

"Understandable. Go ahead."

I gave her a sick-looking smile and gathered my things. I shot Luke a look that expressed my thoughts about him getting too close to Michelle, but he just smiled like I wasn't angry enough. I left in a huff and chased Michelle down the hall.

"Michelle, wait up!"

The redhead turned and glared at me.

"Leave me alone, you-.. You nerd!" Michelle shouted, anger clear on her face. "Why do you have to be such a self-involved geek?!"

That hurt. That hurt like a knife in the chest, and that was just the beginning. She was slowly twisting it sideways with her bad impression of me that she collected all day long.

"You don't let anyone in! You're so fucking reclusive, for what? Is there a fucking sob story, 'oh boo hoo hoo, I'm a fucking loser', or is that just a fucking terrible mood that you're always in? And that dumbass, Mitch, why the hell do you like /him/? He's King Douche Bag of Douchebaggington!"

She was about to keep going, but I closed the distance between us and shoved her.

"You insensitive, bloody prick! You don't even fucking know me! If I had a sob story, I wouldn't share it with you because you'd shit all over everything with your /annoying/ asshole attitude! And you bloody better keep Mitch out of this, because he's much more likable than you, the Queen of the Bitchmongers!"

I was crying by now but I didn't care. I only cursed when I was upset, and her words definitely upset me. I went to shove her again but she caught my arms and brought me extremely close, which surprised me.

"You've got a pretty strong mouth on you. Didn't even know you were capable of using curse words."

"There's a lot I'm capable of." I whispered with a harsh glare, anger and sadness hitting me like waves.

Michelle didn't say anything for a moment before she closed the gap between her lips and mine. Her lips tasted like, god forbid, strawberries and my mind just went. I had no idea how to function anymore. Breathing was out of the question, and added with the fact that I had about zero experience kissing, I was very lost. 

Michelle pulled away after a second and whispered very seriously, "You're a terrible kisser. You better be glad you're cute."

All I could do was giggle. I giggled and I was lightheaded and disoriented and.. Happy, I guess. All of that frustration was gone.

"I know I sound like an asshole, but I think we've both had a pretty rough day. So, I'm sorry for sounding like a prick."

"Mhm." I hummed back, my eyes drifting over the flushed pink of her face, her dimples, her lips, her eyes.. 

"You taste like strawberries, you know?"

She chuckled, "Your point?"

"Do I have to have one?"

"No." Michelle pushed back my stray hair from my face before kissing me again.

This was a very good day.


End file.
